Scottish Executive

Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28916 by Ross Finnie on 25 September 2002, whether the legal advice on right to buy for tenant farmers given in the answer was independent and what the source of the advice was.

Ross Finnie: As is usual practice in relation to issues that involve questions of law, I sought and obtained advice from the department’s legal advisers before responding to the question referred to. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at   http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Asylum Seekers

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the proposal for a Council of the European Union directive to establish minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers in EU member states.

Ms Margaret Curran: Immigration and nationality issues, including standards for the reception of asylum seekers, are reserved to the UK Government.

Autism

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why there is no Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guideline on autistic spectrum disorder and whether it will recommend a SIGN guideline on the care and treatment of autism sufferers.

Mr Frank McAveety: Until recently, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) had received no proposal to develop a guideline on autistic spectrum disorder. A proposal has recently been lodged and will be considered by the SIGN Council in November, as part of the normal selection process.

Cancer

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to building a fully staffed and equipped dedicated cancer hospital in Glasgow.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Regional Cancer Centre at Gartnavel General Hospital will provide the vast majority of services that a dedicated cancer hospital would provide, with the advantage of being on the same site as a general hospital and access to its resources. The services planned for the centre include:

  in-patient, day case and out-patient care for patients requiring specialist oncology treatment not available closer to where they live;

  external beam radiotherapy;

  brachytherapy;

  chemotherapy;

  bone marrow transplantation, and

  palliative care.

  A full range of paramedical therapies including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, dietetics and clinical psychology will support these specialties.

Cancer

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds will be available at the Beatson Oncology Centre following its transfer to the site at Gartnavel General Hospital.

Malcolm Chisholm: Dr Adam Bryson, the Interim Director of the Beatson Oncology Centre, advises me that, as plans stand, there will be 271 beds at the new Cancer Centre at Gartnavel General Hospital. The bed complement will include 209 in-patient beds and 62 day beds. Some 42 of the day beds will be recliner chairs rather than conventional beds, reflecting the needs of different categories of patients and their treatment.

Concessionary Travel

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times it met with groups representing the elderly and disabled to discuss the concessionary travel fares scheme.

Lewis Macdonald: The 16 single and joint concessionary travel schemes in Scotland are operated by local authorities.

  Enhancements to existing concessionary travel schemes were discussed at the 12 February 2002 and 25 September 2002 meetings of the Older People’s Consultative Forum. Concessionary fares policy was also raised at a meeting between ministers and the Scottish Pensioners Forum on 19 August 2002 and at the Scottish Pensioners Forum conference on 18 June 2002.

Concessionary Travel

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from groups representing the elderly and disabled regarding the concessionary travel fares scheme.

Lewis Macdonald: The 16 single and joint concessionary travel schemes in Scotland are operated by local authorities.

  The Executive receives regular representations on concessionary fares policy in the form of written correspondence and telephone calls, and the issue is discussed at meetings with elderly and disabled people’s groups. Representations include comment on the recent enhancements to the schemes and cross-boundary travel issues.

Concessionary Travel

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any restriction under the concessionary travel scheme prohibiting a person travelling free within their area and then purchasing a ticket that allows them to travel on the same bus for an on-going journey outwith their local area.

Lewis Macdonald: The concessionary travel schemes, which operate throughout Scotland, have been developed to meet local needs and reflect local circumstances.

  While they have recently been enhanced to ensure a national minimum concession of free local off-peak bus travel within existing scheme boundaries, the conditions of carriage for each of the 16 single and joint concessionary travel schemes in Scotland are a matter for the local authorities in question.

Courts

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on ad hoc or temporary procurator fiscal deputes in each sheriff court in the Lothian and Borders sheriffdom in each year since 1997.

Colin Boyd QC: Expenditure on temporary procurator fiscal deputes in each of the Lothian and Borders Procurator Fiscal offices for the most recent years available was as follows:

  
  1999-2000 
(£) 2000-01 (£)
2001-02 (£)  Edinburgh
42,433 105,993
52,069  Haddington
- -
-  Jedburgh
- -
2,100  Linlithgow
47,012 12,806
22,312  Livingston
- -
-  Selkirk
- 2,231
6,880  Duns
- 150
- 

  It is not possible to provide a breakdown as to the extent to which the temporary deputes were used in sheriff or district courts.

Courts

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has had with (a) procurators fiscal and (b) sheriffs or their representatives about using civilian staff for court security and prisoner handling at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Mr Jim Wallace: There have been a number of contacts involving the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Scottish Court Service and individual sheriffs, amongst others, regarding the issue of court security and prisoner handling.

Education

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is for implementing the commitment given in Working together for Scotland: A Programme for Government to reduce primary 3 classes sizes to 30 or smaller.

Nicol Stephen: The reduction of class sizes in primary 1 to primary 3 is underpinned by the Education (Lower Primary Class Sizes) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/1080). These regulations placed a statutory duty on authorities to reduce class sizes in primary 1 to primary 3 by prescribed dates. Funding of £78 million over the period 1999-2004 is also being provided. Future school censuses will continue to monitor class sizes.

Education

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why there is no Scottish School Leavers Survey available that takes account of Higher grade passes after 1995 and whether such surveys (a) have been carried out and, if so, whether it will publish the results and (b) are planned and, if so, for what years.

Iain Gray: The design of the Scottish School Leavers Survey (SSLS) was changed in 1996 in order to provide better data on the transition of young people from the end of compulsory education to the labour market. A contract was placed in that year to establish cohorts of young people which were then surveyed at different stages as they made this transition. As part of this programme, surveys of 19-year-olds, the group who would have been involved in sitting Higher grade examinations, were carried out in 1999 and again in 2001. The results of these surveys will be published over the next few months. When these surveys are published, the survey data will be placed in the ESRC Data Archive for access by researchers wishing to conduct further analysis.

  Further modifications to the design of SSLS are being made at present to ensure that it continues to meet changing information needs. Tenders for further surveys will be invited shortly. It is anticipated new cohorts of young people will be established from those who completed compulsory education in 2002 and 2005.

Emergency Planning

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given in the Glasgow acute services review to providing services to cope with major incidents, such as terrorism, with particular regard to the proposed reduction of accident and emergency units (A&E) from five to two.

Malcolm Chisholm: This is primarily a matter for Greater Glasgow NHS Board, which has a dedicated Emergency Planning Officer in place with the responsibility to co-ordinate a Major Incident Plan with partner agencies including local authorities and neighbouring NHS boards. The plan is regularly updated and is designed to make the best use of local and regional health care facilities in the event of significant casualties.

  The planned Emergency Care configuration includes: two specialist 24-hour A&E/trauma units, three emergency receiving units and five minor injury units. A city-wide children’s A&E service will also continue to be provided at Yorkhill Hospital. Each of these elements will be built into the Major Incident Plan.

Environment

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government on the impact on the environment of CO 2 emissions and, in particular, on publicity given to regulations relating to reductions on vehicle excise duty levied on private vehicles to reflect reduced CO 2 emissions, on whether garages selling second-hand vehicles or issuing MOT certificates have been made aware of these regulations and on whether these regulations should apply retrospectively.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including emissions of CO 2 .

  CO2 emissions are widely recognised as the main contributor to climate change. The UK strategy for tackling emissions of greenhouse gases, including CO2, is the UK Climate Change Programme of which the Executive's Scottish Climate Change Programme forms a part. The Executive is working in partnership with the UK Government to deliver greenhouse gas emissions reductions required by the Kyoto Protocol and in moving toward the domestic goal of a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2010.

  Whilst recent reforms to encourage the use of less polluting vehicles support our environmental objectives, Vehicle Excise Duty is a matter reserved to the UK Government. Any publicity on this is therefore a matter for the Department for Transport.

Environment

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the commitment made in Working together for Scotland: A Programme for Government to incorporate strategic environmental assessment for government programmes.

Ross Finnie: This year’s Spending Review required all departments to prepare statements on the way in which their programmes and spending plans contribute to the achievement of the Executive’s commitments to sustainable development outlined in Meeting the Needs… Priorities, Actions and Targets for Sustainable Development in Scotland . These statements will be published shortly. We will build on this work by ensuring that we do examine all of our activities to ensure that they contribute to sustainable development.

  The European Directive 2001/42/EC, on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment (commonly known as the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (SEA)) is due to be implemented by 21 July 2004. The Executive is fully committed to this and work is in hand. As part of this, the Executive has commissioned consultants to develop and trial a SEA methodology and to draft advice for implementing the directive for structure and local plans. They have been asked to identify SEA principles and environmental objectives/criteria that should form the basis of SEA for plans and programmes, other than structure and local plans, which come within the scope of the directive. We expect that the results will be available next summer. The Executive is also setting up a national database of SEAs (including environmental appraisals, etc) for current structure and local plans and a library of examples.

European Union

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many accreditations for the European Council meeting in Brussels on 24 and 25 October 2002 it has applied for.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive did not apply for any accreditations for the Brussels European Council.

Fisheries

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it stands by the statement in its announcement on 22 August 2002 by the Minister for Environment and Rural Development on proposals for the protection of the scallop industry that a majority of the scallop industry supports its proposals

Ross Finnie: In my statement of 22 August, I did not say that a majority of the scallop industry supported our proposals for scallop conservation. I said that a majority of the industry supported our proposals. That reflected the fact that our consultation exercises were addressed to the Scottish fishing industry as a whole, not just to scallop fishermen, and that the responses showed the Scottish fishing industry as a whole to be supportive of our proposals.

  I stand by this interpretation of the responses to our consultation exercises, and by the need for additional conservation measures. However, what has since become clear is the strength of opposition from parts of the scallop sector in particular. That is something on which I am reflecting in my continuing discussions with the Rural Development Committee.

Further Education

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the Audit Committee's 7th Report 2002: Report on Overview of Further Education Colleges in Scotland 2000/2001  which indicates that the committee will look for "positive evidence that one-off additional payments have increased the pace of recovery in the colleges involved", what evidence the Executive has received in respect of the efficacy of such payments.

Iain Gray: Matters relating to the allocation of funds to individual colleges, including one-off payments to increase the pace of college recovery plans, are a matter for the Scottish Further Education Funding Council.

Further Education

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of current means of support for the delivery of further education in rural areas where the cost of delivery is increased by costs such as travel and working with small groups.

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out into alternative means of support for the delivery of further education in rural areas where the cost of delivery is increased by costs such as travel and working with small groups.

Iain Gray: This is a matter for the Scottish Further Education Funding Council.

Further Education

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an update on the progress made by the Scottish Further Education Funding Council since March 2002 in determining the effects on each college of the council's decision to alter the method of funding full-time college courses.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Further Education Funding Council commissioned the Scottish Further Education Unit to carry out a review of its "Activity Measurement Method", the recommendations of which were the subject of a consultation with the further education colleges. As a result of this consultation, I understand that the funding council is in the process of developing a draft implementation plan for proposed changes to its Activity Measurement Method, which will be shared with colleges prior to finalisation in the New Year.

Further Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29300 by Cathy Jamieson on 26 September 2002, whether informal further education in the areas of social, cultural and recreational activities is a statutory duty for local authorities.

Ms Margaret Curran: Under section 1 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, as amended, local authorities are required "to secure that there is made for their area adequate and efficient provision of school education and further education."

  The act provides that, for the purposes of this general duty, local authorities have "power to secure for their area…the provision of adequate facilities for social, cultural and recreative activities and for physical education and training". They are not, however, placed under a specific duty to provide all or any of these services except where these activities are provided for school pupils.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ask the Health Technology Board for Scotland to review the prescribing of Seroxat, in the light of withdrawal symptoms reported on the BBC Panorama programme on 13 October 2002.

Malcolm Chisholm: The question of withdrawal symptoms associated with Seroxat is a safety issue concerning a licensed medicinal product and therefore falls within the UK-wide remit of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA). The agency, with advice as required from the Committee on the Safety of Medicines, maintains constant vigilance over the safe use of all medicines licensed for use in the UK, and keeps under continuous review the safety data available to it from a large number of sources worldwide.

  The possibility of symptoms associated with the discontinuation of Seroxat is already identified in the approved advice to prescribers, along with recommendations on how to minimise them. Were any new and valid concerns to emerge the MCA would take prompt and appropriate action. The Executive does not, therefore, intend to ask the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) to review the issue.

  Information about the criteria and process for selection of topics to undergo Health Technology Assessment by the HTBS can be found on their website www.htbs.co.uk.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum recommended dosage is of methadone per person per day.

Malcolm Chisholm: The UK Drug Misuse and Dependence – Guidelines on Clinical Management provide clinicians with guidance on the medical and other management of drug dependence. Treatment should be tailored to meet the specific clinical needs of the individual and aimed at achieving a stabilisation dose. The guidelines recommend that the initial dose is titrated against withdrawal symptoms and, if necessary, increased gradually up to a total of between 60 and 120mg per person per day.

Health and Safety

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many reports of offences under sections 2 to 6, 21, 22 and 42 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 were marked no proceedings in respect of each category recognised by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in each of the last three years, broken down by sheriff court district.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many breaches of health and safety regulations made under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 were marked no proceedings in respect of each category recognised by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in each of the last three years, broken down by sheriff court district.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many breaches of requirements of licences granted under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 reported to procurators fiscal were marked no proceedings in respect of each category recognised by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in each the last three years, broken down by sheriff court district.

Colin Boyd QC: The information requested is not readily available in the format required and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The information systems operated by the department were designed for case tracking rather than for the production of statistical information. Systems currently in development will, in due course, facilitate the provision of data on a wider basis than is presently possible.

Health and Safety

Mr Tom McCabe (Hamilton South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to protect funeral directors’ staff from infectious disease through contact with deceased persons.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30406 8 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at   http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Hospitals

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many wards are closed at weekends in each hospital in the Greater Glasgow NHS Board area due to staff shortages.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Greater Glasgow has confirmed that no wards in any of its hospitals are closed at weekends due to staff shortages.

Hospitals

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the entire staff of the Western Infirmary in Glasgow will be transferred to Gartnavel General Hospital if the Western Infirmary closes.

Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for NHS Greater Glasgow.

Hospitals

John Young (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what courses of treatment available at HCI International Medical Centre, Clydebank, before its purchase by the NHS (a) have been or (b) are planned to be discontinued since the NHS bought the hospital and what the nearest location to Clydebank is where each such course of treatment is available to NHS patients.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive purchased the former HCI hospital complex for NHSScotland, and it is being transformed into a National Waiting Times Centre to enhance the capacity of NHSScotland and reduce waits for patients throughout Scotland.

  Radiotherapy treatment has been discontinued at the National Waiting Times Centre. The specialist staff who provided these treatments are now located at the Beatson Oncology Centre in Glasgow.

Hospitals

John Young (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what equipment at the HCI International Medical Centre, Clydebank, (a) has been and (b) is planned to be taken out of service since the NHS bought the hospital; what will be done with each item of such equipment, and, in each case, what the nearest location to Clydebank is where similar equipment will be available for the treatment of NHS patients.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31125 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at   http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  When all the patients currently undergoing courses of radiotherapy treatment at the National Waiting Times Centre have been treated, the 10-year-old linear accelerator will be decommissioned. The five NHS cancer centres in Scotland all have state of the art linear accelerators and related equipment funded from the £33 million committed since 1997.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tenants organisations have withdrawn from the Glasgow housing stock transfer since the ballot on stock transfer was held.

Ms Margaret Curran: Two tenants organisations have withdrawn from the transfer process since the ballot, a further 67 tenants groups continue to work closely with others in taking the process forward.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many properties owned by Glasgow City Council were due to be transferred to the Glasgow Housing Association Ltd on the date the stock transfer ballot was held and how many properties are now currently expected to be transferred.

Ms Margaret Curran: Glasgow City Council's housing stock at the time of the ballot was 83,687. It is currently projected that somewhere between 81,000 and 82,000 houses will transfer to the Glasgow Housing Association.

Justice

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to encourage the establishment of more law centres.

Mr Jim Wallace: Alongside other providers of legal advice and representation, law centres have a valuable contribution to make to delivering effective access to justice. The Executive will bear that contribution in mind in developing its policy on a community legal service for Scotland. However, we have no specific plans at present in respect of establishment of new law centres.

Justice

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many female offenders that appeared at (a) all sheriff summary courts, (b) Glasgow Sheriff Summary Court, (c) Kilmarnock Sheriff Summary Court and (d) Glasgow Stipendiary Court were sentenced or convicted in 2001.

Mr Jim Wallace: The latest available information, for 2000, is given in the following table. The statistics on court proceedings in 2001 are expected to be published later this year.

  Female Offenders Proceeded Against in Selected Scottish Courts, 2000: Number with a Charge Proved

  
 Court Number
 All sheriff summary courts
8,021  Glasgow 
Sheriff Summary Court  774
 Kilmarnock Sheriff Summary Court
 422  Glasgow Stipendiary 
Magistrate Court  657

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28916 by Ross Finnie on 25 September 2002, why it is possible to legislate for an absolute right to buy for salmon fisheries under the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill but not for tenant farmers.

Ross Finnie: Neither the crofting community right to buy in general nor a crofting community body’s right to buy salmon fishings is an absolute right to buy. Conditions apply regarding the eligibility of a crofting community body and an eligible crofting community body can exercise the right to buy only where ministers are satisfied that their acquisition of the property would be, for instance, compatible with the sustainable development of the land and in the public interest. There are also very tight constraints on when the right to buy salmon fishings can be exercised. We also believe that the creation of the crofting community right to buy salmon fishings should not impact upon the value of these fishings.

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28916 by Ross Finnie on 25 September 2002, whether the answer is consistent with its proposed crofting community right to buy in Part 3 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Ross Finnie: The Executive believes its opposition to an absolute right to buy for tenants is entirely consistent with its support for the proposed crofting community right to buy in Part 3 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. The crofting community right to buy is not an absolute right to buy. It is conditional on a range of criteria being met and can be exercised by a crofting community body only when ministers consider that the acquisition of the property would be in the public interest.

  Furthermore, I stated in my previous answer that blight on the property would arise from the creation of the absolute right to buy for tenants because it would materially affect the private right of a landowner to determine how long they owned, used and obtained income from that holding. The crofting community right to buy is being introduced against a background where the value of crofting land is usually substantially lower than that of agricultural land and the rights of a crofting landlord to use, manage and peacefully own croft land are already subject to strict statutory controls to protect the crofting status of the land.

Learning Disabilities

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Partnership in Practice agreements clearly set out performance indicators, targets, milestones and timescales to allow comparisons of progress across Scotland.

Mr Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31129 on 11 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

   http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Learning Disabilities

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local area co-ordinators have a budget to provide funding directly to people with learning disabilities to purchase the services that they need, as envisaged in The same as you? .

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time local area co-ordinators, as identified in The same as you? , are now in post and how many are expected to be in post in each of the next three years.

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local area co-ordinators are currently placed with local health care co-operatives, as envisaged in The same as you?.

Mr Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to S1W-31129 on 11 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:   http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Legal Aid

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase advice and assistance rates of pay to social welfare lawyers to make up for the 23% decrease in real value of these rates since 1993.

Mr Jim Wallace: The first priority of the Law Society of Scotland in relation to the legal aid scheme is reform of civil legal aid. Once discussions on this issue between the Society and the Executive have taken place, decisions have been reached, and any changes have been implemented, it is the Executive’s aim to look at the advice and assistance scheme. However, that will be a matter for the next Parliament.

Legal Aid

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide adequate funding for legal provision for (a) asylum seekers, (b) employment law cases and (c) eviction cases.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Legal Aid Fund is not cash limited. Scottish ministers will provide whatever funds are necessary to pay the accounts of solicitors and counsel involved in all cases where legal aid has been granted by solicitors, the courts or the Scottish Legal Aid Board.

Legal Aid

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the lawyers appointed to Part V projects under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 can be independent in advising clients in disputes with its departments and agencies.

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes. Solicitors working on Part V projects are employed by the Scottish Legal Aid Board, which is independent of the Executive, and they are also required to comply with the normal professional codes of the Law Society of Scotland.

Local Government Elections

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current legal maximum expenditure is for local authority election candidates; whether it will increase the maximum ahead of the May 2003 local elections, and whether any difference exists between the maximum permitted levels in Scotland and those in England and Wales.

Peter Peacock: The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at local government elections is £219 plus 4.3p per voter. I am considering whether to make an order increasing this maximum before the local elections in May 2003.

  The maximum permitted levels in England and Wales are £242 plus 4.7p per voter.

Medical Research

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the recent study published in volume 325, issue 7368 of the British Medical Journal on the link between insulin resistance and socio-economic position in childhood and adulthood and what action it intends to take in the light of the study.

Malcolm Chisholm: The study provides yet further evidence of the link between socio-economic circumstances and health experience, and also underscores the importance of a good start in life. These will be important themes in our forthcoming health improvement strategy.

  Additionally, it is recognised that insulin resistance is an important factor not only in the development of cardiovascular disease but also Type 2 diabetes and obesity. The groups responsible for implementing our Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Strategy and our Scottish Diabetes Framework will work together to address the effects of deprivation and reduce inequalities.

Medical Research

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any studies being conducted with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in children in Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is not aware of any studies being conducted with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors in children in Scotland.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the use of anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs has to be approved separately for use by adults and children.

Malcolm Chisholm: The regulation and safety of medicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA). The following information has been provided by the MCA:

  In order for a pharmaceutical company to gain a licensed indication for the use of its product in children or adolescents, they are required to submit clinical data to the MCA on safety, quality and efficacy to support the indication in the same manner and to the same standards that would be expected in adults. This is the same for all drugs including anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs.

  There is general concern about the lack of medicines licensed specifically for use in children. It is a widely held view that it is unethical for children not to have access to medicines of the same standards of safety, quality and efficacy as the rest of the population. Until comparatively recently, perceived ethical concerns and practical difficulties created problems in conducting trials in children which has prevented the development of medicines for them.

  In the UK there is extensive prescribing "off-label" of medicines for children i.e. outside the terms of the licence. Off-label prescribing occurs where the clinician believes it is justified and is a matter for clinical judgement, informed by specialist guidance produced by and available to the profession. A doctor may therefore prescribe a medicine for a child that is licensed only for adults.

  A number of measures have been taken at national level within the existing legal framework. The MCA has developed a strategy to improve the availability of medicines licensed for use in the treatment of children and in 2000, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) – an independent expert advisory body – established an expert working group to take this issue forward.

  The European Commission has also recognised the need to address this issue and a consultation exercise on their draft proposals was completed in April 2002. The UK gave broad support to the proposals, which combined incentives to the industry with regulatory requirements, and draft European legislation is expected to emerge shortly.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which anti-depressant and anti-psychotic drugs are currently approved for use in children and what trials were carried out before this approval was given.

Malcolm Chisholm: The regulation and safety of medicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA). The following information has been provided by the MCA:

  Anti-psychotics

  The following "typical" anti-psychotics are authorised for the treatment of psychotic disorders (e.g. schizophrenia and autism) in children: chlorpromazine, haloperidol, levomepromazine/methotrimeprazine, pericyazine and trifluoperazine. For these older drugs, the dosage recommendations are mainly based on long established use in clinical practice. Another well-established anti-psychotic, prochlorperazine, is authorised for use in children in nausea and vomiting only. None of the newer "atypical" anti-psychotics is authorised for use in children.

  Anti-depressants

  Currently, no medicines are authorised for the treatment of children and adolescents with depression.

  Two of the newer selective serotonin uptake inhibitor (SSRI) anti-depressants, fluvoxamine and sertraline, have been authorised for use in children suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and the dosage recommendations are based on clinical trial data. These data are held on file by the marketing authorisation holder and the competent authority.

  Three of the older tricyclic anti-depressants, amitriptyline, imipramine and nortriptyline, are authorised for use in children with nocturnal enuresis (bed-wetting). For these long-established medicines, dosage recommendations are mainly based on prescribers’ experience in marketed use, rather than the robust clinical trial data that would now be required for the licensing of new medicines.

Ministerial Visits

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many visits have been made to the (a) Roxburgh and Berwickshire and (b) Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale parliamentary constituencies by ministers in each year from 1999 to date and how many are planned until the dissolution of the Scottish Parliament, detailing the ministers involved.

Patricia Ferguson: Information on the number of visits made by ministers since 1999 is not held centrally. With respect to future meetings, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30344 on 22 October 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search

Multiple Sclerosis

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how long on average multiple sclerosis sufferers that meet the Association of British Neurologists’ criteria for disease-modifying drugs have to wait currently to receive prescriptions for such drugs in each NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally. Information on waiting times for out-patient appointments with a consultant is collected centrally at specialty level only.

  A UK-wide risk-sharing scheme for the treatment of eligible patients with multiple sclerosis enables beta interferon and glatiramer acetate to be prescribed on the NHS to patients who meet criteria set out by the Association of British Neurologists. Patients’ eligibility for treatment will depend on the clinical judgement of the specialist neurologists concerned.

  Full details of the scheme are explained in Health Department Letter (2002) 6, a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 20653). The guidance recognised that it may take 18 months or longer for treatment to be initiated for all eligible patients.

NHS Funding

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance has been issued to NHS boards on implementing the Arbuthnott formula for the allocation of funds at a sub-board level.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has not issued any guidance to NHS boards about implementing the Arbuthnott formula at sub-board level.

New Opportunities Fund

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the programmes under the New Opportunities Fund to help young people and youth organisations in Scotland offer as much support pro rata as the equivalent programmes in England.

Dr Elaine Murray: Responsibility for distributing proceeds from the National Lottery rests with the Lottery Distributing Bodies, including the New Opportunities Fund.

  The policy directions which determine the amount of money available to the New Opportunities Fund for its grant programmes currently allocate 11.5% of available funding to Scotland. The funding formula on which this is based, takes into account both population and a weighting to reflect deprivation.

New Opportunities Fund

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what external monitoring and evaluation procedures are in place to assess whether projects funded by the New Opportunities Fund have been successful and who performs any such monitoring and evaluation.

Dr Elaine Murray: The New Opportunities Fund (NOF) is a UK-wide body sponsored by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Responsibility for distributing funds from the National Lottery rests with the lottery distributing bodies. NOF, as a UK lottery distributor, is accountable to DCMS.

  The monitoring and evaluation of individual New Opportunities Fund programmes is a matter for independent externally commissioned evaluation as well as the necessary audit requirements set out in the fund regulations.

  The Scottish Executive meets regularly with NOF to discuss the progress and development of programmes and the pertinent issues.

New Opportunities Fund

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29296 by Dr Elaine Murray on 26 September 2002, whether it will make representations to the National Lottery distributing bodies to review the allocation of New Opportunities Fund (NOF) monies to local authorities with a view to developing a mechanism whereby national youth organisations can receive funding directly from the NOF without having to apply in respect of each local authority area.

Dr Elaine Murray: The responsibility for distributing proceeds from the National Lottery rests with the Lottery Distributing Bodies, including the New Opportunities Fund (NOF).

  NOF decides how these programmes are delivered following extensive consultation with key stakeholders. Funding is allocated to local authorities which work with a wide range of organisations, including national youth organisations, to compile suitable projects which reflect local needs and priorities.

  Under the circumstances, there does not seem to be scope for a mechanism that would allow national youth organisations to receive funding directly from NOF without having to apply in respect of each local authority area.

Nursing

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the article in the Sunday Mail  on 27 October 2002 regarding the drop-out rates of student nurses from their courses and the relationship of these rates to bursary levels is accurate; if so, what it intends to do to address this situation, and whether it intends to introduce a living salary system for student nurses to replace the current bursary system.

Malcolm Chisholm: The drop-out rate of student nurses is currently 22.4%.

  There are a number of reasons why student nurses leave their course and we are taking a number of steps to address attrition including improving financial support - the Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary has increased by 21% since 1998 - and developing proposals for distance learning and flexible access to courses to make sure that as many of our gifted students as possible complete their training and go on to work in NHSScotland.

  We do not intend to re-introduce a salary system for student nurses to replace the current student nurse bursary. Following a major review of nurse training in 1992, it was agreed that student nurses and midwives should no longer be regarded as employees but that they should have full student status like all other health profession students.

Police

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29010 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 October 2002, whether it will detail the changes in the national recording of complaints against the police that were introduced in 2001 and how such complaints are defined.

Mr Jim Wallace: Under revised recording procedures introduced in 2001, statistics on complaints against the police are now defined to include: "any complaint made by or on behalf of any person against one or more on duty members of a police force and from which it may reasonably be inferred that any act or omission which was made or committed by any of the individuals concerned amounts, or may amount, to a criminal offence or professional misconduct".

  As a result, the statistics now include complaints classified as minor or trivial, as well as complaints against special constables and police support staff. The information from which national statistics are published is as provided to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (and separately to Audit Scotland) by individual forces.

Police

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the process is for a verbal complaint to be made against the police.

Mr Jim Wallace: Verbal complaints against the police are treated in the same way as a written complaint. The process for making a complaint is contained within the Executive's Complaints Against the Police leaflet, copies of which are available from the Parliament's Information Centre (Bib. number 25098).

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many injuries occurred in each prison that were reportable to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in each of the last five years.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The available information is as follows:

  HSE Reportable Accidents Reported to SPS Headquarters: 1 April 1998 to 30 September 2002

  
 Establishment
1997-98 1998-99
1999-2000 2000-01
2001-02  Aberdeen
6 4
2 7
11  Barlinnie
7 10
6 18
17  Castle Huntly
3 1
1 0
2  Cornton Vale
3 6
4 7
11  Dumfries
7 5
9 7
8  Edinburgh
13 9
9 13
18  Glenochil
28 23
25 13
19  Greenock
7 2
5 2
6  Inverness
6 3
2 1
2  Low Moss
7 11
10 8
14  Noranside
2 2
1 3
2  Perth
13 8
4 10
8  Peterhead
2 3
7 6
3  Polmont
7 12
7 13
28  Shotts
6 8
2 25
21  Totals
117 107
94 133
170 

  Information on Kilmarnock is held by Premier Prison Services which has contractual responsibility for this matter. The SPS does not monitor the number of reportable accidents notified by Premier Prison Services to HSE. The SPS Controller at HM Prison Kilmarnock does however have access to any relevant information should a prisoner be injured.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many parliamentary questions on prison issues are currently awaiting a substantive answer and when each question will receive such an answer.

Mr Jim Wallace: There are currently no parliamentary questions on prison issues for which a substantive answer is outstanding.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30175 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 October 2002, how it arrived at a valuation of the Scottish Prison Service's land and buildings, as shown on the service's balance sheet, without having a breakdown of the (a) location, (b) area and (c) value of each parcel of land.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The location and value of land was published in the answer given to question S1W-30175.

  Land is not separately disclosed from buildings in the SPS accounts – these assets are aggregated. The District Valuer’s Office carries out regular revaluations of the estate. A register maintains a record of the valuations and subsequent movements such as additions, disposals, transfers indexation etc and is used to prepare the accounts. A detailed analysis of title and area of land is not held on the register.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30175 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 October 2002, why there was an increase of £24,931,000 in the value of tangible assets held by the Scottish Prison Service between 31 March 2000 and 31 March 2001.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The quinquennial revaluation of the SPS Estate was conducted on 31 August 2000 by the District Valuer’s Office; this resulted in an increase in the value recorded in the accounts for land. Details of the basis of valuation is recorded in SPS’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2000-01.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30175 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 October 2002, why there was an increase of £21,287,000 in the value of tangible assets held by the Scottish Prison Service in Edinburgh between 31 March 2000 and 31 March 2001.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The quinquennial revaluation of the SPS Estate was conducted on 31 August 2000 by the District Valuer’s Office, this resulted in an increase in the land value recorded for Edinburgh. Details of the basis of valuation is recorded in SPS’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2000-01.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30175 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 October 2002, why there was an increase £3,464,000 in the value of tangible assets held by the Scottish Prison Service in Perth between 31 March 2000 and 31 March 2001.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The quinquennial revaluation of the SPS Estate was conducted on 31 August 2000 by the District Valuer’s Office, this resulted in an increase in the land values recorded in Perth and Kinross. Details of the basis of valuation is recorded in SPS’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2000-01.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30175 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 October 2002, what the cost would be of producing the remainder of the information sought in the question and how it calculated this cost.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  Land is not separately disclosed from buildings in the SPS accounts - these assets are aggregated. The District Valuer's Office carries out regular revaluations of the estate. A register maintains a record of the valuations and subsequent movements such as additions, disposals, transfers, indexation etc and is used to prepare the accounts. A detailed analysis of title and area of land is not held on the register. As this information is not readily available, it could only be produced at disproportionate cost. It was estimated that the cost would be well in excess of £600.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29427 by Mr Jim Wallace on 14 October 2002, how much the management of the Scottish Prison Service has received in performance-related pay in each of the last three years broken down by the objectives for which the performance-related pay was received.

Mr Jim Wallace: All pay increases in the Senior Civil Service are based on performance, and depend on the overall assessment of an individual officer’s performance. Information on the pay of Executive members of the Scottish Prison Service Board for the last three years is published in the Notes to the Accounts of the Scottish Prison Service Agency, which are published with the Annual Report. This is available on www.sps.gov.uk .

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29771 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 October 2002, on what basis it made its assessment of best value of the new contractual arrangements for education in Scottish Prison Service prisons.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The education contracts were competitively tendered in accordance with EU rules. Bids for reputable contractors were assessed for service and educational capability, and in terms of prices offered for delivery of the services.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29771 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 October 2002, why the cost of education at HM Prison Barlinnie fell between 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Though the number of hours of education delivered to prisoners in Barlinnie increased by 5% between 2000-01 and 2001-02, in the first year the price was more expensive than in the second year, so the cost was lower in year 2. Further, in the second year the contractor provided additional outputs under the New Deal project.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29771 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 October 2002, why the cost of education at HM Prison Edinburgh rose by approximately 49% between 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The number of prisoners in the prison increased during the period, so the volume of education required increased. Additionally, a new computer suite was opened; this increased the opportunities to engage reluctant learners.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30079 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 October 2002, whether it supports the conclusion of the Secure Accommodation Advisory Group that there is no evidence to support the claims of a lack of secure accommodation given that it cannot provide data on the number of 14- to 16-year-olds held in adult prisons and what action it plans to take to compile such data.

Mr Jim Wallace: A wide range of information is collected each time a 14- to 16-year-old is held in a penal establishment, as listed in the answer given to question S1W-30452 on 24 October 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at   http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search . The only information which cannot meaningfully be supplied is a distinction between young offenders in adult prisons and those in Young Offender Institutions. This is because many young offenders will pass through an adult prison on their way to reception in a Young Offenders Institution or may be transferred to a Young Offenders Institution after reception in an adult prison. As Young Offenders Institutions and adult prisons are all penal establishments in the Scottish Prison Service, this distinction is not relevant to the consideration of the need for secure accommodation.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28802 by Mr Jim Wallace on 23 October 2002, what steps have been taken to date to rectify the disciplinary records of prisons placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) and whether any further steps will be taken to correct the records placed in SPICe

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  A revised table has now been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 25063).

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what performance-related revenue deductions have been incurred under the contract to operate HM Prison Kilmarnock by the prison’s operator in each quarter since the prison opened.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested is given in the following table:

  
 Year Quarter
£000  1
1 105 
2 176 
3 174 
4 - 
2 1
-  2
-  3
-  4
-  3
1 60 
2 32 
3 27 
4 88 
4 1
161  2
131

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have been removed from each Scottish Prison Service prison for reasons other than routine treatment in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002-03 to date.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested is not available.

Prison Service

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many female offenders convicted or sentenced in 2001 at (a) all sheriff summary courts, (b) Glasgow Sheriff Summary Court, (c) Kilmarnock Sheriff Summary Court and (d) Glasgow Stipendiary Court received a (i) resultant custodial sentence, excluding those defaulting on a fine, or (ii) fine.

Mr Jim Wallace: The latest available information, for 2000, is given in the following table. The statistics on court proceedings in 2001 are expected to be published later this year.

  Female Offenders Proceeded Against in Selected Scottish Courts, 2000: Number Given a Custodial Sentence or Fined

   
Court Number Given a Custodial 
Sentence Number Fined
 All sheriff summary courts
683 3,871
 Glasgow Sheriff Summary Court
 62  269
 Kilmarnock Sheriff Summary Court
 66  213
 Glasgow Stipendiary Magistrate Court
 75  349

Prison Service

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many female offenders receiving a fine in 2001 at (a) all sheriff summary courts, (b) Glasgow Sheriff Summary Court, (c) Kilmarnock Sheriff Summary Court and (d) Glasgow Stipendiary Court defaulted on that fine.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

Prison Service

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many female offenders that defaulted on a fine in 2001 received at (a) all sheriff summary courts, (b) Glasgow Sheriff Summary Court, (c) Kilmarnock Sheriff Summary Court and (d) Glasgow Stipendiary Court were sent to prison as a result of that default.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The available information is given in the following table. The information held centrally cannot link a reception into custody for fine default to the original proceedings where the fine was imposed and therefore cannot distinguish fines imposed at summary court proceedings. Information for Glasgow Stipendiary Magistrates Court and the District Court is combined because both courts are recorded issuing the same code in the relevant database.

  Female Fine Default Receptions to Penal Establishments by Court, 2001

   
Court Imposing Imprisonment for Fine Default
Number of Receptions 
Glasgow Sheriff Court 20
 Kilmarnock Sheriff Court
28  Other Sheriff 
Courts 204 
All Sheriff Courts 252
 Glasgow Stipendiary Magistrates Court and 
District Court 129
 Other Courts
163  Total fine 
default receptions  544

Prostitutes

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the law relating to prostitution has been proven to be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in respect of preventing the violation of human rights of (a) residents living in areas where the law does not deter prostitution and (b) women and children working in prostitution.

Mr Jim Wallace: Measures in Scots law designed to deter prostitution and to prevent the exploitation of women and children through prostitution are not restricted by area. There has not been an ECHR challenge to Scots law in this area, and we are not aware of any relevant ECHR case law.

Prostitutes

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether existing law is effective with regard to determining soliciting, kerb crawling and prostitution and whether it has any plans to (a) review the law and (b) support the police in its enforcement.

Mr Jim Wallace: We consider that the existing law is effective in dealing with prostitution and related offences and have no current plans to review the legislation in this area. The level of funding made to the Scottish Police Service has increased substantially over recent years and it is for Chief Constables to enforce these laws and to make decisions on operational requirements within the resources available to them.

Public Private Partnerships

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29432 by Mr Andy Kerr on 30 September 2002, what precisely is meant by "broadly equivalent costs".

Mr Andy Kerr: As I previously stated in the answer to question S1W-29432, it is not possible to provide specific examples as contract monitoring costs are not separately identified in conventional contracts.

Public Private Partnerships

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29432 by Mr Andy Kerr on 30 September 2002, whether it will detail each type of cost incurred in monitoring contracts for the operation of conventionally funded capital projects.

Mr Andy Kerr: For trunk roads, monitoring of capital conventional construction contracts includes: checks of contractors design proposals; checking contractors construction proposals; monitoring compliance of construction activities in relation to contract requirements; testing the quality of materials and workmanship employed in construction, and reviewing interim and final payments due to the contractor for construction of the works.

  Each of these costs is not separately accounted for within records maintained by the department.

Public Private Partnerships

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29432 by Mr Andy Kerr on 30 September 2002, what information it has on the costs of monitoring contracts for the operation of conventionally funded capital projects.

Mr Andy Kerr: For trunk roads, fees are paid to Consulting Engineers or Agent Authorities for the supervision of construction contracts conventionally procured and for major schemes. Records are held against individual contracts and aggregated to provide annual totals across the portfolio.

Residential Care

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Care Commission on the commission’s role in determining the status of group home provision for people with a learning difficulty and what the outcome was of any such discussions.

Mr Frank McAveety: This is an operational matter for the Care Commission as the independent regulator of care services in Scotland. The commission must decide which of the definitions in section 2 of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 fit any particular care service, based on that service's statement of purpose and function, then register and regulate it as such.

Scottish Enterprise

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what savings will be achieved in each year through Scottish Enterprise’s business transformation project.

Iain Gray: Scottish Enterprise estimate savings of £200 million by 2006, with an average of £45 million a year in the spending period 2003-06.

Scottish Executive Advertising

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out into the efficacy of each of its public information campaigns since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: A number of research methods are used to measure the efficacy of Scottish Executive public information campaigns. These include:

  Quantitative research to provide baseline measurements

  Quantitative and qualitative research pre-campaign to obtain audience insight

  Qualitative research pre-campaign to test creative effectiveness

  Quantitative research post-campaign to test awareness, recall and reaction

  Quantitative research to track attitudinal and behavioural changes over time

  Quantitative and qualitative research into media consumption

  Quantitative and qualitative research produced by third parties

Scottish Executive Websites

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it cost to establish its Do a Little – Change a Lot website and what the annual operating costs are of the site.

Ross Finnie: The Do a Little, Change a Lot website www.dochange.net was redesigned and re-launched on 2 September to coincide with the new phase of the campaign. The new website cost £26,000 to establish. Annual operating costs of £7,300 cover hosting of the site, application rental and support and marketing. The previous version of the site cost £89,517 to establish and operate.

Social Justice

Angus MacKay (Edinburgh South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many families were living in poverty in each month of each year since 1996.

Ms Margaret Curran: Poverty cannot be measured by a single indicator. The Social Justice Annual Report contains 29 milestones which describe different aspects of poverty and social exclusion. Low income is one part of the picture.

  The headline measure of low income is conventionally defined to be household income below 60% of the GB median after housing costs, but it is also important to consider additional indicators based on a range of thresholds of mean and median income to gain a fuller picture.

  Data on low income households are only available on an annual basis. The following tables 1 and 2 detail the proportion of households with relative1 low income below a range of thresholds and cover the years since 1996-97. Tables 3 and 4 provide the same information but based on thresholds of absolute4 low income. All figures are based on a sample survey, and as such are subject to sampling variation. Care should therefore be taken in their interpretation.

  Table 1 – Proportion of Households in Scotland which are Low Income Households Based on 50% and 60% Mean Thresholds (Relative Measure)1

  

50% Mean
60% Mean 
BHC2
AHC3
BHC AHC
 1996-97
21 27
34 36
 1997-98
19 24
31 33
 1998-99
20 26
33 35
 1999-2000
21 27
34 36
 2000-01
22 28
34 36


  Table 2 – Proportion of Households in Scotland which are Low Income Households Based on 50%, 60% and 70% Median Thresholds (Relative Measure)1

  

50% Median
60% Median
70% Median 
BHC AHC
BHC AHC
BHC AHC
 1996-97
10 15
21 26
32 35
 1997-98
10 14
18 23
28 31
 1998-99
10 15
18 24
29 31
 1999-2000
10 15
20 25
31 33
 2000-01
11 16
20 25
30 33


  Table 3 – Proportion of Households in Scotland which are Low Income Households Based on 50% and 60% Mean Thresholds (Absolute Measure)4

  

50% Mean
60% Mean 
BHC AHC
BHC AHC
 1996-97
21 27
34 36
 1997-98
18 23
29 31
 1998-99
17 23
29 31
 1999-2000
16 22
29 32
 2000-01
16 20
26 29


  Table 4 – Proportion of Households in Scotland which are Low Income Households Based on 50%, 60% and 70% Median Thresholds (Absolute Measure)4

  

50% Median
60% Median
70% Median 
BHC AHC
BHC AHC
BHC AHC
 1996-97
10 15
21 26
32 35
 1997-98
9 13
17 22
27 30
 1998-99
9 13
17 22
27 30
 1999-2000
8 12
16 21
26 30
 2000-01
8 12
16 19
24 28


  Source : Households Below Average Income analysis, Department for Work and Pensions

  Notes:

  1. Thresholds are measured against the GB mean or median for the relevant year.

  2. Before Housing Costs.

  3. After Housing Costs.

  4. Thresholds are measured against the GB mean or median for 1996-97 uprated to remove the effects of inflation.

  We are currently unable to provide estimates of the numbers of low income households due to methodological problems with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data source from which they are derived. We have been working with DWP to revise their methodology and we hope to be able to provide estimates of numbers as well as proportions in the near future. The new methodology may lead to revisions to previously published figures. Such differences are, however, likely to be very small and should not alter any of the general trends. As part of an on-going programme to improve data quality, there will be further revisions to this data series when full results of the 2001 Census of Population become available.

Special Educational Needs

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children in (a) public and (b) private education have currently been identified as having learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive, through its annual school census, collects information on the main learning difficulty of all pupils attending special schools and those pupils with a Record of Needs who attend publicly funded or independent mainstream schools. Figures for 2001 are 17,451 pupils attending publicly funded schools, of whom 1,501 had specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, and 1,063 pupils attending independent schools, of whom 40 had specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

Special Educational Needs

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the number of children identified as having learning difficulties has reduced or increased over the last three years and whether the number of such children is projected to increase or decrease over the next three years.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive, through its annual school census, collects information on the main learning difficulty of all pupils attending special schools and those pupils with a Record of Needs who attend publicly funded or independent mainstream schools. Figures for the last three years are 18,190 pupils in 1999, 18,710 in 2000 and 18,514 in 2001. Of these pupils, 1,523, 1,716 and 1,541, respectively, had specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

  The number of children with a Record of Needs has been relatively constant over the past three years, at around 2% of the school population. It is not anticipated that this figure will change substantially over the next three years.

Special Educational Needs

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children that have been excluded from school in each of the last three years have had learning difficulties such as dyslexia and whether there is any requirement to have children tested for dyslexia before excluding them from school.

Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally. However, the number of times that pupils with a Record of Needs were excluded from school in each of the last three years is provided in the table. Information is not collected specifically on pupils with a learning difficulty who do not have a Record of Needs.

  There is no requirement to have children tested for dyslexia before excluding them from school.

  Exclusions of Pupils with a Record of Needs from Primary, Secondary and Special Schools

  
 Year Removed 
from Register Temporary Exclusions
Total Exclusions 
1998-99 -
- 1,170
 1999-2000
141 1,406
1,547  2000-01
8 1,542
1,550 

  Source: Exclusions from schools annual survey.

  Note: Exclusions data was not split by type of exclusion in 1998-99.

Special Educational Needs

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) public and (b) private specialist schools there are for children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

Cathy Jamieson: At the September 2001 School Census, there were 197 publicly funded and 33 independent schools in Scotland for children with a range of special educational needs, including those arising from dyslexia.

  There are no specialist schools in Scotland providing exclusively for children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

Taxation

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any monitoring arrangements are in place to ensure that public money committed to purchase private sector goods or services is not committed to any organisation operating a tax avoidance policy by establishing accounts in offshore tax havens and, if not, whether it will investigate establishing such an arrangement to ensure that only firms that properly pay taxation within the UK benefit from public money used to purchase goods or services on behalf of the taxpayer.

Mr Andy Kerr: No monitoring arrangements are in place in respect of tax avoidance schemes. However, organisations bidding for Scottish Executive contracts are expected to have met their legal obligations in respect of taxation and it is standard practice that they are asked to disclose any convictions.

  European public procurement rules provide for certain circumstances when companies can be excluded from competing for public sector business, such as failure to pay taxes in accordance with UK (or other relevant) legislation. However, it does not allow for exclusion of companies on the basis that they pay their taxes in another country. To exclude a company on these grounds would be unlawful. Generally, companies are required to pay taxes in the country of their incorporation. In the case of partnerships, partners are required to pay taxes in the country in which they are domiciled.

Tourism

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to direct VisitScotland to collate annually information on categories of expenditure by tourists, broken down by area tourist board area.

Mike Watson: We have no plans to direct VisitScotland on the detail of the statistics that it collects.

Tourism

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to direct VisitScotland to include retail within the annual tourism figures for visitors’ attitudes and activities undertaken.

Mike Watson: VisitScotland include retail figures in the Categories of Expenditure section in their annual Facts and Figures leaflet.

Tourism

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates tourism spend on retail contributes to the economy annually.

Mike Watson: VisitScotland estimate that retail spending attributable to tourism in Scotland generates £445 million from UK tourists and £180 million from visitors from overseas, a total of £625 million.

Tourism

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote Glasgow as the second largest retail destination in Britain.

Mike Watson: Glasgow, with its acknowledged strengths in the retail sector, is promoted as a tourism destination both by VisitScotland under its Vibrant Cities theme and by Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board.

Voluntary Organisations

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29299 by Ms Margaret Curran on 26 September 2002, whether adult volunteers working in youth organisations benefit from the £2 million Active Communities Initiative, the £1 million funding to the volunteer centre network and the £700,000 in the Millennium Volunteers programme and whether it will provide funding to help voluntary youth organisations to recruit, train and retain adult volunteers.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Active Communities Initiative, the Millennium Volunteers programme and the network of Volunteer Centres each promote and facilitate volunteering that is arranged and delivered by organisations. They provide generic support on behalf of all organisations working with volunteers. Accordingly, any organisation, including youth organisations with adult volunteers, is free to approach the Scottish Executive or their local volunteer centre to explore how best to take forward the recruitment, training and retention of volunteers. If proposals for a specific project or initiative emerge, Scottish Executive funding might be possible, provided normal grant scheme eligibility criteria are met and resources are available.

Water Supply

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the peak turbity and colour loadings occurring in the source waters for the Balmore and new Milngavie water treatment plants are.

Ross Finnie: I have asked Dr Jon Hargreaves, Chief Executive of Scottish Water to respond. His response is as follows:

  The historical raw water quality data indicates a maximum turbidity of 2.9 FTU and a maximum colour of 23 degrees Hazen. The plant has been designed to cope with significantly poorer raw water quality than these values.

Water Supply

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of flooding the new Milngavie water treatment plant has been designed to cope with.

Ross Finnie: I have asked Dr Jon Hargreaves, Chief Executive of Scottish Water to respond. His response is as follows:

  It is assumed that this question refers to surface water run-off during storm events, which can lead to a deterioration of raw water quality. The plant proposed for Milngavie has been designed to cope with a raw water quality significantly poorer than the poorest quality indicated in the historical record data.

Water Supply

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what design elements of the new Milngavie water treatment plant mitigate against any bypass of the filters due to a flooding incident.

Ross Finnie: I have asked Dr Jon Hargreaves, Chief Executive of Scottish Water to respond. His response is as follows:

  It is assumed that this question is to ask whether the filters will perform as effectively when challenged by raw water quality which is poorer due to surface run-off from a storm event. The plant proposed for Milngavie has been designed to cope with a raw water quality significantly poorer than the poorest quality indicated in the historical record data. The works is designed such that no unfiltered water is allowed to pass into supply.

Water Supply

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the specified lifespan is of the filter media proposed for the Milngavie water treatment plant.

Ross Finnie: I have asked Dr Jon Hargreaves, Chief Executive of Scottish Water to respond. His response is as follows:

  The filters proposed for the treatment plant at Milngavie are dual media with sand and anthracite. It is estimated that about 1% to 5% of the anthracite will be lost with the backwash water every year and this will therefore require topping up on an annual basis. It is estimated that the sand and the anthracite will require replacement approximately every 20 years.

Water Supply

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how long a water treatment plant with the same specifications as that proposed for Milngavie would take to build.

Ross Finnie: I have asked Dr Jon Hargreaves, Chief Executive of Scottish Water to respond. His response is as follows:

  A water treatment plant with the same specification as that proposed for Milngavie would take approximately three years to build but commissioning and site finishing would run on beyond this period.

Youth Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, with which local authorities it has held discussions on a pilot of specialist children’s hearings to fast-track persistent offenders under 16 years old, as referred to in point one of the 10-point action plan set out in Scotland’s Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002 .

Cathy Jamieson: I announced on 23 October that the fast-track hearing pilots will take place in Ayrshire, Dundee and East Lothian/Borders. An initial meeting was held with these authorities as well as Aberdeen, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and Stirling. Further, more detailed discussions were also held with the pilot areas, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Stirling and South Lanarkshire, before decisions on the pilot areas were taken.

Youth Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, when the cross-departmental consideration of improving the effectiveness of restriction of liberty, anti-social behaviour and community service orders for persistent offenders can be expected, as referred to in point three of the 10-point action plan set out in Scotland’s Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002 .

Cathy Jamieson: Detailed work is continuing on the review and I will provide further updates in due course.

Youth Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, when it will make its announcement on the "Safer Scotland" police campaign on high visibility policing, covering youth disorder, to increase visibility and provide community re-assurance, as referred to in point four of the 10-point action plan set out in Scotland’s Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002 .

Cathy Jamieson: The Safer Scotland Police campaign was launched by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland) on 21 October. Details of the announcement can be found at:

  www.tayside.police.uk.

Youth Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, when the audit of current front-line services that will inform future funding decisions will be completed, as referred to in point five of the 10-point action plan set out in Scotland’s Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002 .

Cathy Jamieson: The Executive is currently in the process of recruiting appropriate researchers to conduct this work.

Youth Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, when it will publish its scoping paper on a national application of a system of cautions/warnings and a detailed exploration of restorative cautions approach, perhaps through piloting, as referred to in point six of the 10-point action plan set out in Scotland’s Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002 .

Cathy Jamieson: The scoping paper is being prepared in consultation with a number of agencies involved in developing this initiative. This will form initial input to a working group which will develop national guidance for the proposed system of cautions/warnings. This guidance will be published in due course.

Youth Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, when it will conclude consideration of the proposals for the redevelopment of the secure accommodation estate, as referred to in point seven of the 10-point action plan set out in Scotland’s Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002 .

Cathy Jamieson: I expect to announce the next steps for the redevelopment of the secure estate shortly.

Youth Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre the effectiveness sub-group’s report and recommendations, as referred to in point eight of the 10-point action plan set out in Scotland’s Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002 .

Cathy Jamieson: Yes.

Youth Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30105 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, why the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) liaison officer member of the Youth Justice Steering Group is still to be confirmed.

Cathy Jamieson: In my response to question S1W-30105, it was erroneously stated that COPFS was to be confirmed. COPFS has been represented at the Youth Justice Steering Group since its inception in January 2002. Kath Harper is the COPFS representative.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will list, for each works package under the Holyrood project where no performance bond was obtained, (a) the name of the company awarded the contract, (b) details of the work involved, (c) the total value of the contract as awarded and (d) whether there was any other form of protection other than a performance bond required from the party awarded the contract such as a parent company guarantee; if so, whether it will detail what protection was to be obtained and whether it was obtained and, where no form of protection was required, on what basis that decision was reached.

Sir David Steel: My answer to question S1W-30170 on 16 October 2002, explained that negotiations on trade contracts for the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood are carried out on a commercially confidential basis, and that it would not be appropriate to name publicly those contractors who have yet to provide a performance bond. The same principle applies to all contractors and I am therefore unable to list those contractors, or provide any of the associated information requested, on this occasion.

Parliamentary Publications

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer what the costs were of printing, publishing and distributing the Scottish Parliament Annual Report 2001 to 2002.

Sir David Steel: The total cost of publishing and printing the English version of the Scottish Parliament Annual Report 2001 to 2002  was £19,226. This represents a significant saving of £11,600 over last year's costs, achieved by retaining the same design format and layout as last year and bringing more of the work in house. The number of reports published was 2,500.

  Distribution was increased this year and included all secondary schools as well as partner public libraries, international contacts and interested organisations throughout Scotland. We trust that MSPs will make their copies available in their constituency offices thereby increasing public availability to the document. The final cost of distribution is being calculated but is expected to be £2,500.